Tray for egg-testers.



No. 896,932. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908. G. W. NEWTON. TRAY FOR EGG TESTERS.

APILIOATION IILED JULY 23, 190'].

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m m i m No. 896,932. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908.

l G. WVNEWTON.

TRAYFOR EGG TESTERS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 23, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

GEORGE W. NEWTON, OF NEWTON, IOWA.

TRAY FOR EGG-TESTERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. NEWTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newton, in the county of Jasper and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Tray for Egg-Testers, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an egg tester of simple,durable and inexpensive construction, in which artificial light isunnecessary, and in which by an arrangement of mirrors, natural lightmay be utilized in such a way that the operator may clearly see througha large number of eggs, as required for testing them.

A further object is to provide improved means for handling eggs, and fordepositing them all at the same time, into an egg crate.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claimsand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows avertical transverse sectional view through the complete device embodyingmy invention, with a tray full of eggs in the top thereof. Fig. 2 showsa top or plan view of the complete device embodying my invention. Fig. 3shows a sectional view of the top of the frame of the body portion ofthe device, and a side view of the egg tray in an elevated positionabove the top of the body portion, part of the tray being broken away toshow the position of the partitions therein relative to the eggsupporting cross wires. Fig. 4 shows an end view of the tray, with partbroken away to show the egg retaining wires in position directly abovethe partitions. Fig. 5 shows an enlarged detail side view of one of thehinged devices for adjustably supporting the upper mirror. Fig. 6 showsan enlarged detail sectional view of same, on the line 66 of Fig. 5.Fig. 7 shows a transverse sectional view of the tray in its invertedposition with the egg retaining wires in position, supporting eggstherein, said tray being shown directly above an egg crate, havingcompartments therein for the e s.

Tteferrin to the accompanying drawings, I have usec the referencenumeral 10 to indicate the frame of the body portion, which ispreferably made of a rectangular box like structure, inclosed on allsides except the top,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Applicationfiled July 23, 1907. Serial No. 385,160.}

Patented Aug. 25, 1908.

and the upper portion of the rear. A door 11 is hinged to the rear tocover this opening, and this door is provided with a hinged section 12,so that the opening may be either wholly or partially closed, asdesired. Mounted within the body portion 10 is a mirror 13, fixed to alongitudinal shaft 14. This shaft extends through the ends of the bodyportion, and has attached to one end a crank 15, by which the mirror maybe adjustedto any desired angle.

Extended around the top of the frame on the interior thereof, is a shelf16, to receive the egg holding tray. This egg holding tray comprises abottom 17, formed with openings 18 to receive eggs. It also has sidesand ends 19, and partitions 20, said partitions being arranged to formegg compartments. The tray is of such size as to fit down into the topof the body portion 10, and to rest upon the shelf 16. Hinged to theends of the tray is the bail 21, which is large enough to lie parallelwith the adjacent side of the tray, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The endsof the bail extend a short distancebeyond'their pivotal points, and haveattached to them the links 22. Slidingly mounted in grooves on the innerfaces of the ends of the tray, are the slide bars 23, having theoutwardly projecting pins 24 extended through slots 25, in the ends ofthe tray. These pins are connected to the links 22 so that when the bailis moved from position in line with the sides 19, to position at rightangles to them, both of the bars 23 will slide transversely of the tray.These bars 23 have fixed to them a series of egg supporting wires 26,which wires are in line with the longitudinal partitions 20 when thebail 21 is parallel with the sides of the tray, and when the bail ismoved to position at right angles to the tray, as shown in Fig. 7, thesewires 26 stand in position midway between the longitudinal partitions20, thus retaining the eggs in the tray.

Fixed to the rear corners of the body portion 10 are the upright hingemembers 27, these hinge members have pivoted to them the hinge members28, which latter are secured to a mirror 29. I provide'for adjustablysecuring this mirror 29 at any desired angle as follows: Formed on eachof the hinge members 28 is a segmental arm 30, having a slot 31. A screw32 is' passed through the slot 31, and through a washer 33 restingagainst one side of the arm 30, and said screw is seated in a block 34resting against the opposite side of the arm 30. Formed on the hingemember 27 is a forwardly projecting arm 35, designed to be engaged bythe block 34. I provide for limiting the rearward movement of the mirror29 by means of a lug 36, formed on the lower end of the arm 30, anddesigned to engage the under surface of the arm 35, when said mirror istilted rearwardly past a vertical line.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings, I have shown an egg tray indicated by thenumeral 37, which is of the ordinary kind now in common use, andcontains compartments to receive eggs.

In practical use, I first fill the egg tray of the device with eggs, asshown in Fig. 1, and then adjust the mirror 29 so that it will directsunlight downwardly through the top of the tray. I then adjust themirror 13 so that the operator may, by looking into the opening at therear of the body portion 10, see the eggs reflected upon said mirror.The interior of the body portion 10 is dark, and the sunlight reflectedupon the top of the eggs by the mirror 29, will be suflicient to enablethe operator to see through the eggs, and thus test them. The incline ofthe mirror 29 may be changed as follows: I first loosen the screw 32 sothat the block 34 and the washer 33 may be easily moved on the segmentalarm 30. Then when they are in the desired position the screw 32 istightened, and the mirror inclined forwardly until the blocks 34 restupon the arms 35. After one tray full of eggs has been adjusted, theoperator grasps one edge of the tray, and inclines it upwardly to theposition shown in Fig. 3 at the same time the bail or handle 21is'turned to position at right angles to the tray. This will cause theegg retaining wires 26 to close the ends of the compartments in thetray, opposite from the bottom 17, then the tray may be inverted asshown in Fig. 7, and carried to position directly over a tray forreceiving eggs. Then when in this position, the bail 21 maybe turneddownwardly, thus permitting." the eggs ,to drop into the tray 37.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby'Letters Patent of the United States, therefor, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a traycomprising a bottom with openings therein to receiveieggs, andpartitions to form egg compartments above the bottom, the upper end oft'he:t'ray being open, a series of rods extended across the top of thetray, a bail pivoted to th'e tray, and means for connecting the bailwith'said rods, said parts so arranged that when the bail is in ahorizontal position the rods will stand over the partitions, and whenthe bail is moved downwardly to position at right angles to the tray,the rods will stand over the centers of the compartments to retain eggstherein.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a traycomprising a bottom having openings therein to receive eggs, andpartitions above the bottom to form egg chambers, bars slidingly mountedin the ends of the tray, rods fixed to said bars, and

normally standing over the tops of the 1011- gitudinal partitions, abail pivoted to the ends of the tray and links connecting the bail withsaid sliding bars, said parts so arranged that a movement of the bailfrom the horizontal position to a downwardly inclined position willcause the rods to move to position over the centers of the eggcompartments. Des Moines, Iowa, May 17, 1907.

1 GEORGE W. NEWTON. Witnesses:

A. M. CARL, E. E. DUER.

